Display case pump top



DISPLAY CASE PUMP TOP Filed Aug. 31, 1950 INVENTOR. ALFRED H. MARSH m BYATTCRNEYS Patented Oct. 26, 1954 DISPLAY CASE PUMP TOP Alfred H. Marsh,Swarthmore, Pa., assignor to Sun Oil Company, Philadelphia, Pa., acorporation of New Jersey Application August 31, 1950, Serial No.182,434

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in merchandising displays andmore particularly to illu minated display cabinets to be mounted onstruc tures such as gasoline dispensers and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a receptacle foradvantageously displaying articles of merchandise protected frominclement weather and theft. Another object is to provide the receptaclewith illuminated advertising media to further attract public attention.Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description.

in accordance with the present invention a seamless display case oftransparent material is constructed to conform to the configuration ofan existing pedestal structure such as a gasoline dispenser. Atranslucent plate with advertising indicia is mounted vertically on topof the display case and a directional lighting system arranged withinthe case to illuminate the displayed articles and the advertising. Thecase is then securely mounted on the top of a gasoline dispenser, orpump casing, in a manner to withstand weather and thievery and attractmaximum consumer attention.

In order that a better understanding of the invention may be had,reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a gasoline dispenser and the display device.

Figure 2 is a detail of Figure l in sectional eleration.

The present service station equipped to retail gasoline and lubricatingoils to public consumers is ordinarily stocked with other items intendedfor sale. Very few purchasers are acquainted with the stock on hand, andonly limited opportunity is afforded to display these wares. Normally amotorist remains in his automobile during the servicing of the vehicleand does not see the display of goods in the station building. It is todisplay goods under these conditions that the present invention isintended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates the display case of the inventiongenerally denoted by the numeral If; mounted on a gasoline dispensingpump l2. The preferred material of the display case It is a transparentplastic such as Plexiglas or Lucite but it may be made of shatter-proofor tempered glass. The case i is molded as a dome or otherwise shaped toform a seamless transparent case attractively and artistically fashionedto complete the top surface of the pump casing for which it is intended.A shelf M is placed within the case l0 flush with the top of the pumpstructure 12 and levelled to hold displayed merchandise generallydenoted by It. This may be simply a metal shelf or, as shown in thepreferred embodiment is made of translucent material for the diffusionof light upwardly into the case. The transparent, seamless case itcomprises a lower cylindrical member l l depending from its dome-shapedtop which is permancntly held in place on a gasket it of flexiblematerial such as rubber or neoprene mounted inside the case. A metalband 2i) through which metal screws 22 are driven, anchors the casefirmly to the pedestal i2. In the preferred form, the lower section ofthe transparent case 58 between the shelf and the fastening band isetched, painted, or otherwise made translucent to corn ceal the top ofthe pump extending into it.

On the top of the transparent display case Ill, a flat indicia plate 24is mounted vertically to present the face to the viewing public. Theplate Ed is fashioned from transparent or translucent light reflectingmaterial and may be tinted for display purposes. Insignia such as atrade name or slogan 26 is fashioned in the plate in colored lettersdistinctive from the tint of the plate and is arranged to reflect orabsorb light to form a distinctive display.

A light source 28 which in the preferred embodiment includes an electricbulb 35 and a cylindrical tube 32 made of light diffusing mate rial suchas ground glass or translucent plastic is mounted in the center of thedisplay case as shown. The cylindrical tube 32 is open at the topdirecting an uninterrupted beam of light at the exposed bottom of thepreviously described flat plate 23 with the insignia 2B. The lightrefleeting qualities of this plate with the colored insignia definitelyoutlines the advertising slogan. Additional lights 3% shown as thefamiliar tubular type are mounted beneath the translucent shelf it,concealed by the translucent lower section of the case It to add to thedisplay.

The display advantages of the described structure will be immediatelyevident to those versed in the art. A Well lighted display case withinsignia spelling a trade name is adapted for mounting on an existingoutdoor gasoline dispenser in the path of customer trafilc. Underordinary circumstances it is the customers purpose to stop for gasoline,and the pump being his destination receives his undivided attention. Theseamless display case fabricated from a single sheet of transparentmaterial which is securely fastened to the mounting pedestal insures aweatherproof and theft proof display. Advantageously placed 3 on agasoline dispensing pump, it demonstrates saleable goods to the publicwhich is ordinarily not displayed. The lighting arrangement is combinedwith the interior of the display case and the insignia or trade namereflecting plate to increase the customer attraction.

Having described and illustrated one form of the invention, it is to beundertsood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific formor arrangement of parts herein described and shown, except so far assuch limitations are specified in the appended claim.

I claim:

A display case top mountable on a gasoline pump comprising a case oftransparent material of dome shape extended downwardly to an engagingedge for mounting, an indicia plate mounte ed on the top of said case,Weather tight fastening means around the engaging edge of said case, ahorizontal translucent shelf supported in said case above the mountingedge dividing the case into an upper and a lower chamber, peripherallydirected light rays into the upperchamber, a n

vertically arranged lighting means centrally disposed on saidtranslucent shelf in the upper chamber below the indicia plate, a lightdiffusing cylinder of translucent material enclosing said central light,said cylinder being open at the top to direct light rays vertically atthe base of the indicia plate and horizontally directing diffused raysthrough the difiusing cylinder above the translucent shelf.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,750,440 Tarver Mar. 11, 1930 1,840,325 McCann Jan. 12, 19321,866,126 Payson July 5, 1932 1,920,882 Pellow m Aug. 1, 1933 2,050,515Wells Aug. 11, 1936 2,120,826 Young June 14, 1938 2,355,731 James Aug.15, 1944 2,507,303 Gustafson May 9, 1950 2,566,453 Ketkay Sept. 4, 19512,574,164 Baay Nov. 6, 1951

